Anybody remember when the Berlin Wall came down back in 1989? It was the beginning of a new era (we thought), and a chance for the world to take a breather from the prospect of nuclear holocaust. The wall had been in constructed in 1961 by the German Democratic Republic to keep East German residents from escaping the Soviet controlled region. It all started in 1948, when Stalin created a supply blockade in the divided city of Berlin; a symbol of Communist Russia's reach and power. In response, the United States and the United Kingdom started airdropping supplies around the clock from June, 1948 through September, 1949. There were more than 189,000 flights totaling almost 600,000 flying hours. And 75% of those flights were executed by the newly designated United States Air Force. A little plug for my old boss.
You'll forgive the history lesson, but it is a testament to the ability and power of the human spirit; if you cannot break down a wall, you simply fly around it, dig under it or figure out another way. And, there is always another way. The problem we often face lies in the fact that we are the ones who build the walls. In the same way that tyrants construct barriers to keep people in or out, we build barbed wire fences around our dreams, aspirations and relationships because we're either too afraid or too lazy to see them through. Or, perhaps we hold on so tightly to our own point of view that we can't see another. So, we build a wall and put a nice coat of paint on it to placate ourselves. That "paint" has a name; excuses. It is far easier to explain away, rather than to find a way.
Working in physical therapy and rehabilitation for so many years, I have been humbled by the tenacity of some of the people I've treated. Guys who were full of shrapnel, lost a leg, suffered life-altering third-degree burns. Men and women who overcame things like strokes, heart-attacks, even Parkinson's to a degree. I've held, cried and celebrated with the two women in my life who have battled cancer. And the common theme in all of these people is the most humbling of all: "Somebody has it worse than me." Amazing. You're sitting here with a bunch of tubes sticking out of your body, facing a long road with a lot of hills and valleys and you have the depth and humility to realize that there are others who may suffer more than you. In such an ever-increasing world of selfishness, to witness selflessness never ceases to renew my inspiration. It should do the same for you.
Walls are much easier to build than they are to remove. And no matter what kind of barrier it is, physical, emotional, financial or spiritual, you have the power an ability to tear it down or find a way around it. There is always a way. Take for example, some of our students who start with a little bit of trepidation due to age, injuries...a little bit of both. I'm in that category. They want to be able to do more than their bodies may allow, but still find a way to challenge themselves. Together we figure out what the physical limitations are and we make the most of what is possible. I say "we," but in the end, everyone has to recognize their own barrier and the way through. But there is one wall that is really tough for people to scale: ego.
That's right, ego. I can help you past the physical limitations and the fear; but man, it's really tough for me to help you see past yourself. And hey, I get it. Believe me, I have had and still have my own struggles with ego. Admittedly, it's mostly a guy thing; dudes with a background in sports or martial arts who come to check us out and have something to prove. And when they find out that they don't know everything there is to know about strength, leverage, physical ability, well..."I was a wrestler, so this makes no sense to me." "This isn't the way we did it in my dojo" It's pretty disturbing when you can run three to five miles but gas out after a couple of minutes of stand-up grappling or several rounds of mitt and glove work. More importantly, it's uncomfortable. It's supposed to be. You're not supposed to be able to just step out on the mat and hang; there is a place specifically for that. It's called a gym. This a dojo, and we're not here to feed your ego. We're here to help you overcome it.
Tell me one thing you have ever accomplished without discomfort. I'll wait...no takers? Discomfort..that's an ego thing. The minute you think you deserve something...that's ego thing. And we can apply that to just about every barrier that we face. Every one that we create. So don't do what you've always done and slap some paint on it. See it for what is, tear it down or figure out a way around it. There's always a way.
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho
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